Newmarket resident Paul Jolie prefers to bike around town when possible.
Although he has a car, he said it is less aggravating to bike when the option is available.
But he expressed disappointment in the municipality's lack of progress on bike lanes over the past few years.
“They’re continuing to kick that down the road,” he said. “I’ve watched other towns which have been multiplying their bike lanes over the same period, and I’m wondering why Newmarket thinks that it’s not a good idea to encourage cycling intent. Which is what they’re doing by not providing infrastructure.”
Jolie presented to town council March 4, seeking answers on the future of its active transportation implementation plan, suspended since 2021. The municipality responded that a report should be coming back to council this year as part of a parking review.
The plan, which addressed how the Town of Newmarket would implement more bike lanes, fell by the wayside after a conflict over parking as bike lanes were proposed for Clearmeadow Boulevard.
Jolie said only Lorne Avenue got bike lanes since the start of the pandemic, and there are still gaps for bike lanes in town.
“There has to be connectivity to bike infrastructure if we wish residents to take up the opportunity,” he said. “I hope Newmarket continues to draw more and more tourists, but without comprehensive bike infrastructure and a cost for parking downtown, there will never be enough parking garages.”
He added that his attempts to correspond with councillors on the subject resulted in only a response that the active transportation implementation plan remained suspended while parking is considered.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said it is a fair question but noted the progress on Lorne Avenue, as well as the upcoming Mulock multi-use path.
That multi-use path project became more of a focus after the suspension of the active transportation implementation plan, development and infrastructure commissioner Peter Noehammer said.
Answers on active transportation will come as a result of the on-street parking review, which is under consultant study, he said.
“It did deserve a well-thought-out strategy in terms of how we advance that,” he said of the transportation plan. “We’re looking at the various ways in which the different needs can be accommodated on the residential streets.”
Taylor further said that planning for the upcoming Shining Hill subdivision is also emphasizing cycling to avoid conflicts there in the future.
“Ensuring that we have both a multi-use path and bike lane network fully thought out, comprehensive, established from the very get-go,” he said.
